PUBLIC NOTICE
- NOTICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DPNR) SOLICITATION OF WATER QUALITY DATA TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2024 INTEGRATED WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT REPORT, UNDER SECTION 305(b) AND SECTION 303(d) OF THE FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT.
- DATE OF THE NOTICE: THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2024
COMMENT PERIOD CLOSES: MONDAY, MAY 10, 2024
DATA PACKAGES AND QUESTIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO: mary.stiehler@dpnr.vi.gov - DESCRIPTION OF NOTICE: The Department of Planning and Natural Resources announces that the Division of Environmental Protection is soliciting water quality related data to use in the development of the 2024 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. The U.S. Virgin Islands has integrated the reporting requirements of Clean Water Act Section 305(b) and Section 303(d) into a single product, which is termed an INTEGRATED WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT REPORT. This report requires the consideration of as much information as possible that may be available in each jurisdiction with respect to the waters, aquatic organisms and aquatic ecological systems.
The Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report presents the extent to which waters of the U.S. Virgin lslands are attaining water quality standards pursuant to Section 305(b) and identifies waters that are impaired and need Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) as required under Section 303(d) of the Act. U.S. Virgin Islands Water Quality Standards can be found under Title 12, Chapter 7, Subchapter 186, Sections 186-1 through 186-13 of the Virgin lslands Code. The Integrated Report also identifies waters that are being removed from the 303(d) List because they are now attaining water quality standards. Data received through this solicitation may be used to: confirm an existing impairment; refine the extent of an existing impairment; list a new impairment; or delist an impairment. Previous reports are available from the Division of Environmental Protection website.
The 303(d) List included as part of the lntegrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report is used to establish priorities for the implementation of water quality improvement measures including the development of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). A TMDL establishes allowable pollutant loads or other quantifiable parameters that a water body can assimilate without exceeding applicable surface water quality standards. TMDLs establish the basis for water quality based on controls such as permit limits or best management practices to control the number of pollutants being discharged into the water body. This report is used to inform the United States Congress of the progress the Territory is making towards meeting water quality goals. This notice solicits data for development of the 2024 lntegrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report expected to be adopted April 1, 2024.
Data packages, which include data collected from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2023, will be accepted until May 10, 2024, for the development of the 2024 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. Data collected after May 10, 2024, and data packages submitted after this time may be considered for subsequent Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Reports and/or other Division assessments.
The Division will use all appropriate and readily available data collected by governmental and non-governmental entities. In determining which data are appropriate and readily available, the Department will consider quality assurance/quality control, monitoring design, accurate sampling location information, data documentation and use of electronic data management. A data package must include:
- ) A Division approved or comparable to a division-approved Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) project plan.
- ) Data provided in electronic format. The Department prefers that all data be entered into USEPA’s Water Quality Exchange database. Recognizing that this may not be possible for all data collectors, the Division will accept data in Excel, Access, and/or delimited text file formats. Station location data should be identified by latitude and longitude; and
- ) A citable report summarizing the data that includes name, address, and telephone number of the entity that generated the data set.
